Sheet distributing device

ABSTRACT

A device for distributing sheets of paper and the like including sheet conveying means and a movable deflector to direct the sheets from the conveying means into a receiving device. Drive means are also provided to move the conveying means and the deflector to convey the sheets to the receiving device. Counting means for controlling the count going to each pocket of a multiple pocket receiving device.

United States Patent Deutsch 1541 SHEET DISTRIBUTING DEVICE [72]Inventor: Fritz A. Deutsch, Euclid, Ohio [73] Assignee:Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: March17, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 125,384

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 779,522, Nov.27,

1968, abandoned.

52] us. Cl ..270/58, 271/64 [51 Int. Cl. ..B65h 39/02 [58] Field ofSearch ..270/58; 271/64 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,273,882 9/1966 Pearson ..270/58 2,823,031 2/1958 Rives ..271/642,076,391 4/1937 Whitehead ..271/64 1451' Aug. 22, 1972 2,241,168 5/1941Truitt et a1 ..271/64 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell I AssistantExaminerL. R. Oremland Attorney-Russell L. Root and Ray S. Pyle ABSTRACTA device for distributing sheets of paper and the like including sheetconveying means and a movable deflector to direct the sheets from theconveying meansinto a receiving device. Drive means are also provided tomove the conveying means and the deflector to convey the sheets to thereceiving device. Counting meansv for controlling the count going toeach pocket of a multiple pocket receiving device.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SHEET DISTRIBUTING DEVICE RELATED PATENTSThis application is a continuation application of application Ser. No.779,522 filed Nov. 27, 1968, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally asindicated .to a sheet distributing device and more particularly to sucha device in which a single deflector is provided to direct I sheets ofpaper or the-like from a conveyor into a selected pocket of areceptacle. The deflector, if it is movable into a position that doesnot deflect, is referred toas a gate, and may be said to be open orclosed according to its position.

Collating and distributing devices are widely used in conjunction withduplicating machines to receive copies from the machine and todistribute the selected number of copies to the designated pocket of areceiving device. Such collating and distributing devices include atransport system to more the copies from the duplicator to the receivingdevice with means to direct the copies to the selected pockets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Three schemes of distribution are generallyknown and used in such devices: (1) the receiving device is stationaryand the transport means is movable relative to the pockets of thereceiving device, (2) the transport system is stationary and thereceiving device is movable to align the pockets thereof with thetransport system, and (3) both the transport system and the receivingdevice are stationary and the copies are directed toward the selectedpocket by means of gates which are provided adjacent each pocket of thereceiving device.

Collating and distributing devices of the third scheme utilize aplurality of gates, one gate being assigned to each individual pocket ofthe receiving device. By engaging a gate into its active position,copies are deflected into the pocket with which the gate is aligned andthat pocket continues to receive copies as long as the gate isactivated. Due to the provision of a plurality of such gates, such amachine is expensive.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simpleform of sheet distributing device utilizing a sheet deflector meanswhich can be moved into different station positions to divert sheetsinto selected paths.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a sheet device inwhich the number of copies conveyed to a selected pocket of a receivingdevice can be readily and easily controlled.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will beunderstood by those skilled in the art after reading of the followingmore detailed description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may beemployed.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating generally theFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, partially cutaway view on the line 5-5 of FIG.4; and

FIG. 6 is a section view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now particularly toFIG. :1 of the drawings, the sheet distributing-device, designatedgenerally by the numeral 10, includes a frame 11 within which a beltconveyor 12 is positioned. The conveyor rotates about taken a pluralityof rollers 13 positioned at the comers of the I frame and rollers 14 and15 which are positioned within a movable carriage 16. The conveyor thusforms a rectangular pattern about a receiving device 17 to which thesheets of paper or the like are conveyed through opening 18 betweencarriage rollers 14 and 15. A movable gate 19 is positioned withincarriage 16. A chute 20 represents any feeding source, such as theoutput of a lithograph printing machine. By rotating the gate 19 to ahorizontal position, the sheets which are being carried by conveyor 12from the chute 20 will not be distributed to the receiving device butwill by bypassed to a bypass receptacle 21.

A drive motor 25 is connected to one of the rollers 13 to drive theconveyor. A belt 26 is provided adjacent the bottom of the receivingdevice, which moves at a side of receiving device 17, and is moved alongsuch rails on guide rollers 31. Auxiliary rollers 32 and 33 are alsoprovided adjacent rollers l4'and15 respectively. The belt conveyor 12 isendless. The belt makes a return loop over each roller 14 and 15 underthe rollers 32 and 33. The rollers 32 and 33 provide a positive holdingaction for paper sheets at these positions. A handle 34 is connected-togate 19 whereby the gate may be rotated into the inclined position shownin FIGS. 1 and 3 or into a horizontal position, as explained above. a

carriage with the belt conveyor (shown most clearlyin FIG. 6), wherebythe carriage and the conveyor are advanced together. Such means includesa sprocket 35 mounted on the shaft of roller 15. A bracket 37 extendsfrom the carriage. A sprocket arm 36 is mounted on the bracket 37 by apin 38.

Carriage 16 also-includes means to interconnect the.

- selected pocket.

v behaving as if they were two separate drive belts, each secured to thecarriage at the roller location.

To hold the carriage in a fixed position for deposit of sheets in aselected pocket of device 17, a rail 40 is mounted 'onthe'frame of thedistributing device adjacent guide rail 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Rail 40has notches 41 therein spaced along .the length thereof ad- 4 mittedthrough arm 58 to the ratchet ratchet assembly 49 located at aparticular pocket.

To establish a count, the dial at each pocket is rotated away from azero position by the number of ratchet teeth representing the number ofsolenoid actuations necessary to return the dial to its iero position.

Each actuation of switch 55 causes the dial to advance negatively by oneincrement, and hence each sheet fed into the selectedpocket issubtracted'from the number preset on the dial. When the dial'has thusreached the 7 :zero position, the pocket has received .the preset.

jacent the pockets of the receiving device 17. When it is desired tostop the carriage adjacent a particular "pocket of the receiving device,the sprocket arm 36' is pivoted about pin 38 out of engagement withsprocket 35 whereby the lower extremity of the sprocket arm 36 willengage the appropriate notch 41 in rail 40. Then,

the. belt 12 will continue to drive, but the carriage will stop. Thebelt 12 v will use the rollers 14 and 15 as another set of belt supportsand move relative to the carriage. o i Y I In the description of thedrawings to this point, there has been described a sheet distributingdevice comprising, sheet conveying means, gate deflectorv meansassociated with the conveying means and mounted for movement to aplurality of selected positionsrelative to the conveying means. Thedeflector means is operable to intercept sheets moving from the chutealong the top belt of conveyor 12 and into a pocket in the devicel7.'There are numerous possible means for bringing the deflector to ahalt adjacent a proper pocket position. One desirable. means is to lockthe sprocket35 and to do so by a means which'will hold the sprocketlocked and count the number of sheets deposited in a particular pocket,whereafter it releases the carriage and deflector for movement to thenext selected pocket. In the development of this invention, there is Iprovided'a unique manner of stopping the carriage and of counting thenumber of sheets deflected into a A plurality of dials 44 are mounted ona common shaft 46 to control the number of copies to be distributed to aparticular pocket of the receiving device. Onedial is provided for eachpocket of the receiving device, but for purposes of brevity inillustration, only two such dials are illustrated herein. Each dialincludes a ratchet wheel 48 and a ratchet assembly 49. The ratchetassembly includes a pawl 50 and a ratchet arm 51. The ratchet arm 51 isbiased toward the machine frame 11 by tension spring 52. I

A switch 55 is also mounted under gate 19 in the carriage. Switch 55reacts to each sheetdistributed to a particular pocket of the receivingdevice. The switch is electrically interconnected by conductor 56 with afirst solenoid 57 which is mounted on the carriage. The solenoid has anarm 58 which is positioned to move into power transfer relationship withthe various ratchet arms 51 as the carriage advances along the i rails.(See FIG. 4). -Thus, in any given stopped position of the carriage, 3each sheet engages switch 55, solenoid 57 is actuated and the solenoidstroke is transnumber of copies.

which is adapted, when the dial is in the zero position to engage anormally open switch 61' (Seed-1G. 3)

mounted on the carriage. The switch6l'is electrically interconnected byconductor 62 with a secondsolen'oid 63 (FIGS. 3 and 6) which'is mountedon carriage 16.- The solenoid 63 is pulled by a spring 64 to urge thearm 36-into a locking condition with the rail 40. As aresult, sprocket35 is released and the carriage is held in a fixedlocation engaged inrail 40 during those periods of time that solenoid 63 is not energized.The solenoid '63 is activated to drive the sprocket 36 out of engagementwith rail 40 and into engagement with sprocket 35. Carriage 16 isadvanced along the length of'the receiving device with the conveyorwhenarm 36 engages sprocket 35. v I

In order to stop the carriage, the actuator of-switch 61 must bereleased to move to its normally closed con- .dition. In the illustratedembodiment the switch is physically actuatedbetween dials and at the endof a count.

Each of the notches 66 is adjacent a dial 44 which per mits the cam toextend to the lower surface of the rail 65 and hence block switch 61againstentering the notch 66 when the carriage and the conveyor aremoved into registration with such dial position. Accordin'gly, as thecarriage and conveyor are advanced frompocket to pocket of thereceivingdevice, the rail 65 will hold theswitch 61 actuated toa non-energizedcondition.- The carriage will'continue to advance until a pocket isreached in which the dial has been rotated soas to be in other than thezero position, whereby the' cam 60 of that particular dial will be outof alignment with the notch 66 of rail 65. This permits switch 61 toenter notch 66, thus de-energizing solenoid 63 and lock fails to find anopen notch, the carriage will continue to advance. In this manner, thecarriage will sustain its advancement along the receiving device willnot stop at a pocket in which the dial is in the zero position (whichindicates that the particular pocket 'is' not to receive any copies),but will continue to-advance until it reaches a programmed pocket, viz.one in which the dial has been rotated to designate a specific number ofcopies for that pocket.

After a dial position has been located by the actuator of switch 61, thecarriage will remain stationary and sheets will be deflected by thedeflector gate 19. Each arm 51 of the sheet will cause the solenoid 5.7to rotate the dial 44 one unit position. With each unit advance of thedial the cam 60 approaches one unit closer to the zero position where itis at home within the notch 66. Eventually mode contemplated, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention which is, therefore, not to be limited to the detailsdisclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of confrontationbetween the cam 60 and the actuator 5 invel'l ion h reinafter Claimedarmof the switch 61 takes place, when the dial attempts to move from theunit position to the zero position. When that confrontation takes place,the power exerted upon dial 44 through the ratchet system is sufficientto depress the actuator of switch 61 and de-energize the solenoid 63.Then the carriage immediately begins to advance in its search for thenext notch not filled by a cam 60. Y

Because the carriage locks to the conveyor during carriage advance, thesheet deposited upon the conveyor during the period of time that thecarriage is advancing will maintain a fixed position with respect to thecarriage and will not overtake the carriage. Then, when the carriagereaches a stop position, the relative movement of the carriage andconveyor begins and the sheets once again advance to the deflector gate19.

It will be appreciated that with the gate 19 in the horizontal position,the sheets carried by the conveyor 12 will not contact switch 55, andaccordingly the copies that are bypassed will not be counted.

The return movement of the carriage is powered by reversing the motordrive, which may be initiated manually by pressing a carriage returnbutton (not shown) or by the carriage itself actuating a reverse switchupon reaching the end position. Also, if desired, a sensing mechanismcan be included which would return the carriage as soon as all of thedials have reached the zero position, which would shorten the carriagereturn travel time if only a few pockets near the input end areprogrammed.

Although a single belt conveyor has been described and illustrated, itwill be appreciated that other conveying means can be used, such as aplurality of belts spaced laterally from one another.

The sheet distributing device may also function as a collator simply bysetting each dial at one. As thus set, the device will feed sequentiallyone sheet into each pocket.

Whereas the present invention has been shown and described herein inwhat is conceived to be the best I claim:

1. A sheet distributing device comprising:

sheet conveying means for transporting individual sheets in a first pathof established length;

a traveling carriage movable substantially along said first path;

sheet-deflector means separate from said sheet conveying means fordiverting sheets from said first path into a path divergent from saidfirst path;

said carriage including means for movingsaid sheet deflector means alongsaid first path into a selected station position along said first pathto pick sheets off said conveying means and divert them into t ecorresponding divergent path; and said sheet de projecting through theline of sheet movement in said first path to deflect conveyed sheetsfrom the first path into a divergent path. v

2. The sheet distributing device of claim 1 in which;

a receiving device having a plurality of pockets therein is positionedin communication with said conveying means, with a pocket at eachstation position aligned to receive any sheet diverted at said stationfrom said conveyor means; and

means for detecting the number of sheets directed into each pocket ofsaid receiving device.

3. The sheet distributing device of claim 1 in which;

a receiving device having a plurality of pockets therein is positionedin communication with said conveying means, with a pocket at eachstation position aligned to receive any sheet diverted at said stationfrom said conveyor means;

means for detecting the number of sheets directed into each pocket ofsaid receiving device;

means positioned along said first path for reacting to the means fordetecting the number of sheets, and to negate the diverting action ofsaid deflector means; 1

whereby, sheets will thereafter continue in said path beyond said sheetdeflector.

ector means, in said station positron, I

1. A sheet distributing device comprising: sheet conveying means fortransporting individual sheets in a first path of established length; atraveling carriage movable substantially along said first path; sheetdeflector means separate from said sheet conveying means for divertingsheets from said first path into a path divergent from said first path;said carriage including means for moving said sheet deflector meansalong said first path into a selected station position along said firstpath to pick sheets off said conveying means and divert them into thecorresponding divergent path; and said sheet deflector means, in saidstation position, projecting through the line of sheet movement in saidfirst path to deflect conveyed sheets from the first path into adivergent path.
 2. The sheet distributing device of claim 1 in which; areceiving device having a plurality of pockets therein is positioned incommunication with said conveying means, with a pocket at each stationposition aligned to receive any sheet diverted at said station from saidconveyor means; and means for detecting the number of sheets directedinto each pocket of said receiving device.
 3. The sheet distributingdevice of claim 1 in which; a receiving device having a plurality ofpockets therein is positioned in communication with said conveyingmeans, with a pocket at each station position aligned to receive anysheet diverted at said station from said conveyor means; means fordetecting the number of sheets directed into each pocket of saidreceiving device; means positioned along said first path for reacting tothe means for detecting the number of sheets, and to negate thediverting action of said deflector means; whereby, sheets willthereafter continue in said path beyond said sheet deflector.